SOHO WINE CO

SOHO WINES! As simple as abc ‘awarded, boutique, creative’

Most people are familiar with SOHO WINES but we asked Rachael Carter to tell us a few things that make SOHO different to other New Zealand wine brands.

FAMILY OWNED VINEYARDS

We are boutique, we like to keep things small (100% quality focused), we not only utilise my late father’s vineyards in Marlborough and Waiheke but we have several other small family owned vineyards that grow for us (as they say a great wine is made in the vineyard). 3 OUTSTANDING WINEMAKERS

Grant Taylor (creator of our Central Otago wines), David Clouston (creator of our Marlborough wines) and James Rowan (creator of our Waiheke Wines). They are specialists in their realms giving each wine it’s own distinctive style & personality. 73 gold medals & multiple trophies to date says a lot about our winemaking team. NON-TRADITIONAL BRAND NAME

The name SOHO is a little left field, SOHO uniquely embodies a passion for life, culture & entertainment, we have crafted a brand reflective of our life & the amazing people and pets we share it with (hence why each of our wines have a name & back story). 3 COLLECTIONS OF WINE

Our portfolio of wines is mostly made up of our premium black collection (predominantly sold to restaurants local and abroad), on a smaller scale is our white collection (retail focused wine), even though the price point is cheaper we still get 5 star accolades and win golds! Our latest is the Pink Sheep Charity Collection, I created this with new vineyards to make a difference to those in need. What are the key drivers behind your Pink Sheep collection? The name Pink Sheep, inspired by the late Alexander McQueen who ended his life, often referred to himself as the Pink Sheep in the family. We donate 50c a bottle to 4 charities that encompass mental health, children, animals & the environment. During lockdown, charities nationwide suffered great hardship and financial struggles. So, we decided to put extra focus on Pink Sheep by redesigning our label that would bring hope and love, using the lotus flower as our inspiration. To date, Pink Sheep has raised over $60,000 for its selected charities and we aim to continue to raise as much as we possibly can. The whole range is proudly supported by our friends at Farro Fresh.

The range includes a low sugar French inspired Rosé, organic Sauv Blanc, organic Pinot Gris (double gold medals) and a stunning Pinot Noir (gold medal). All wines have been reviewed 5 stars. Aside from Pink Sheep what is the thing you are most proud of at SOHO? My team! I call them the SOHOts. We do all our own distribution so don’t have a distributor that sells our wines, we are direct to customer, we do our own dispatch and I can proudly say we are a small but highly passionate group that have stuck together for a very long time – a combo of cousins, old friends, previous clients & new friends. My landlord (our office is above NOVEL in Herne Bay) always comments on the camaraderie and cheer that comes from the SOHO office. Amber Hatton is our national & export sales manager & a shareholder, she has been with me since the beginning and is soon to head off on maternity leave so my challenge this year has been to find someone to fill her boots. Fortuitously Hugo McCallum (ex Tohu wines) has just started with us. We are a team of 10, dedicated to making the best wines we possibly can and bringing them to market with a stylish, contemporary and little risqué approach.

Rachael Carter Amber Hatton Elinor Mudu Shenée McLean Jo Cumberland

Hugo McCallum Jack Faga-Makin Carolina Vujcich Gary Keller Peter Millington

SOHO WINES

WINNER 73 GOLD MEDALS 4 CHAMPION TROPHIES

A PLACE TO CALL HOME FOR A WHILE

What was that long renovation on Dryden Street all about?

When Steve Ingram bought 58 Dryden Street, a run-down 1970s bungalow directly opposite Grey Lynn Park, he had a vision - to transform the property into a stylish, spacious and purpose-built home that could comfortably accommodate travelling groups and families for short and long term stays. Of the property’s extensive renovations, Steve commented, “Admittedly, it did take a little longer than I hoped! We completely gutted the place and it’s a brand new house now. Every corner has been updated. We stripped back the 100 year-old cedar weatherboards and found that they were in surprisingly good shape!

“I wanted to provide unique accommodation facilities where people travelling in groups for work or leisure could have their own bedroom and bathroom rather than twin-sharing, then come together in elegant but relaxed communal living areas to talk and entertain.”

On his long-standing connection to the neighbourhood, Steve said, “I’ve lived around Ponsonby on and off for a good 20 years and a sweeping balcony with green views over the park. The innovative

I love the character of the houses, the mature tree growth and all the advantage for groups and families staying at The Village Reserve.

great places to eat and meet up with friends.”

It was this sense of community that inspired the naming and identity of Steve’s new business venture. ‘The Village Reserve’ was conceived against themes of locality, urban communality and leafy “The first floor of The Village Reserve has four separate bedrooms, all with ensuites, a stylish kitchen, and indoor and outdoor living and entertaining areas. Upstairs offers five boutique bedrooms with ensuites, a modern kitchen, gorgeous fresh living areas, and architectural design of the property means that the two floors can be completely separate and private or work as one.”

Private parking for each floor and secure gate access is another huge city-fringe streets.

“Regardless of whether guests are staying for a week, four weeks, or half a year, all they need to bring is a suitcase to feel at home.”  PN

For more information or to book call T: 029 376 6445, www.villagereserve.co.nz, E: info@villagereserve.co.nz